Karnataka High Court questions ECI on appointing anganwadi workers as BLOs
The Karnataka High Court has asked the Election Commission of India to respond to a petition regarding the appointment of anganwadi workers as Booth Level Officers. The union argues that this practice violates ECI guidelines and disrupts essential child welfare services.
Why it matters
Addresses the tension between administrative election requirements and the delivery of critical social welfare services to vulnerable populations.
The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday sought a response from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on a PIL petition, which has questioned the practice of routinely appointing anganwadi workers as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) contrary to the ECI’s 2025 guidelines that permit such appointments only when regular State government or local body employees of the ‘Group C’ and above category are unavailable.
A division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha passed an order on the petition filed by the Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, which contended that diverting anganwadi workers to the task of BLOs as a routine practice adversely affects essential child welfare services.
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